Porkchop and Chicken Balls with Mushroom Sauce

Very Easy and Very Yummy!
My budget was limited but I have to feed 4 men plus my husband and kids, so as an extender I used a pack of chicken balls which I bought at our "talipapa."
I have to cook something special to thank my husband for buying me this lovely and huge Cabbage Rose.

To make the PorkChops:
   Marinate porkchop (what I had was only 3/4 K, so I sliced it in half) slices in soy sauce, salt, pepper, calamansi juice from 2 calamansi, chopped garlic.   I let it sit for only 30 mins.  I cooked my Tortellini while I wait for my meat to be fried.
   Slice the chicken balls in half, or not. Fry.  Once it turned a bit golden, drain on paper towel.
   Fry the PorkChops.   Put on serving dish together with the chicken balls.
 
Mushroom Sauce:
  Boil sliced  button mushrooms (about 1/2 cup) in a cup of water.   Once boiled put McCormick Mushroom Gravy Mix slowly sprinkling while mixing till you finish the whole pack.  I made mine less thick so I added 1/8 cup of water and a tsp of soy sauce.

Pour the sauce on top of the fried porkchops and chicken balls.
With these as our main dish for the night I also cooked Bacon Filled Tortellini with Marinara sauce.

And for dessert!  The goodies I took home from our baking demo at San Miguel Purefoods.

Home-made Banana Split-Vanilla Ice Cream Edition

Here are some ideas on perking-up vanilla ice creams!

Banana Split V1: Vanilla ice cream at the center of sliced lacatan banana, topped with chocolate bits.

 Banana Split V2:

Vanilla Ice cream scoops in between lacatan banana slices topped w/ Ferrero Rocher , sprnkled with Nesquik powder!

Banana Split Kiddie Version:

My kids fave!
In the middle of lacatan banana slices, put scoops of vanilla ice cream, drizzle with cocoa powder and mini M & Ms.

Uber Yummy!

Banana Heart Fritata

     An Experimental dish.   I first knew it at my daughter's school during their Nutritional month activity.   They made a burger out of banana hearts, however not most of the children liked it.   Maybe it was because of how it was cooked, or the ingredients used.
    However, as an experiment, it turned out to be fantastic.   My kids loved it, without them knowing it was "puso ng saging" (banana heart in Philippine translation), hahaha, tricky mommy am I?...  As a mom, I do want my kids to eat healthy foods and let them be adventurous in their eating habit without resorting to junk foods.
     This goes so well with any adobo variation, veggie salad and other veggie stews or soup.
So without further ado, here is how to make this.

Banana Heart Fritata

2 pcs medium banana hearts
1 onion large, chopped
3 eggs
chicken coating mix
salt, pepper and spanish paprika for seasoning

To do:
   Boil the banana hearts, careful not to over boil, once the outer red skin has turned very light, you can remove it and wipe off excess water.  Chop.  Mix with the other ingredients, onions, chicken coating mix, seasonings and eggs.   Mix well, I use my bare hands to do this, make sure hands are sanitized.
  Heat about 1/8 cup of cooking oil on a frying pan, and fry a spoonful of the mix.
  Works well as an appetizer, and goes well with any other dishes!

Corn and Coconut Granita

   

Simplifying yumminess is what I do best!

I took a champagne  glass, layered with coconut, 

Coconut Granita *, and Corn.

Walaaa!  A dessert! A snack!  A healthy Option!

Granita (in Italian also granita siciliana) is a semi-frozen dessert made from sugar, water and various flavorings. Originally from Sicily, although available all over Italy (but granita in Sicily is somewhat different from the rest of Italy), it is related to sorbet and italian ice. However, in most of Sicily, it has a coarser, more crystalline texture. Food writer Jeffrey Steingarten says that "the desired texture seems to vary from city to city" on the island; on the west coast and in Palermo, it is at its chunkiest, and in the east it is nearly as smooth as sorbet. ^[1] This is largely the result of different freezing techniques: the smoother types are produced in a gelato machine, while the coarser varieties are frozen with only occasional agitation, then scraped or shaved to produce separated crystals.
( copied from Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Granita)

How to make Coconut Granita:

    In a pitcher, mix coconut juice from 2 coconuts and half cup of condensed milk.   Once mixed pour on a 5" to 7" plastic tray, cover and refrigerate for an hour.  After 1 hour you will notice the top hardens a bit, scrape it off and mix.  Refrigerate for two more hours, scrape again until you achieve a slushy consistency in the ice.  It will be ready to serve by then.

Sweet Apple Omelet
(condensed from Gina DePalma’s Dolce Italiano)

2 medium Golden Delicious, Rome, or Empire apples
3 tbl extra-virgin olive oil
2 tbl granulated sugar
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tbl grappa*

2 tbl unsalted butter
1 tbl honey
4-5 large eggs
Confectioner’s sugar for dusting


*Note: I didn’t use grappa for two main reasons. The first is that I really don’t like grappa so I don’t have any in the house; the second is that my stomach is just recovering from a nasty virus and I didn’t think I could even handle the smell. If you’d like instructions on how to incorporate the grappa I suppose you’ll just have to buy the book (or keep your fingers crossed that you’ll win a copy–be sure to comment)!
Peel and core apples, cut them into quarters, then into slices. If you’d like to make a pretty flower to garnish like in the picture above, peel the skin with a sharp knife beginning at the top of the apple in one continuous strip, as demonstrated here and then roll it up and set it on the plate. Thanks Meredith!
Heat a large saucepan over medium and add olive oil, followed by apples. Sauté until they just begin to turn soft, translucent, and tender, about 5 minutes. Add sugar and cinnamon, shaking to coat apples. When apples are completely tender, remove from heat and set aside.
In a small saucepan, melt 1 tablespoon of butter over low heat; don’t let it bubble. Add honey and swirl the pan so they combine thoroughly. Remove from heat and set aside. Prepare a serving plate dusted with confectioner’s sugar.
Crack eggs into medium bowl and whisk until combined. In a nonstick 10-inch omelet pan, melt remaining 1 tablespoon of butter over medium heat, swirling it around to coat bottom of pan completely. When butter begins to bubble, add eggs.
Use a fork or spatula to pull any cooked egg toward the center of the pan while tilting so that any uncooked egg moves to the edges. Continue moving eggs around until they are cooked, 2 to 3 minutes.
Very quickly, spoon some of the cooked apples into the center of the omelet in a straight line spanning the diameter of the omelet. Shake pan to loosen the omelet completely, then fold one side of omelet over apples.
Quickly slide the omelet onto the sugar-dusted serving plate, folding it over on top of itself with the edge of the pan or a spatula. Immediately drizzle the warm honey-butter mixture evenly over the surface of the omelet, and dust with confectioner’s sugar (I also sprinkled a little more cinnamon).
Serve immediately, cutting the omelet into 2 large halves or 4 smaller quarters.
I did it in halves, and was plenty full after my half. Yum!

Clam Hot To Tai

Ingredients:
1 K clam or Halaan, washed and drained
1/2 can corn kernels
2 packs miswa
sliced leeks
1 onion
minced garlic
minced ginger

How to cook:
1.   Sautee ginger, garlic and onion.   Season with salt, Magic Sarap and pepper.
2.   Put halaan, water until submerged. Cover the pan.
3.   Once halaan slightly opens up, put miswa and corn kernels.
4.   Simmer until halaan opens up fully, put the leeks.  After 2 to 3 mins. Put of fire and serve!

Crusty Parmessan Round Eggplant and Spicy Bunga ng Malungay

 

Crusty Parmesan Eggplant

 

Spicy Bunga ng Malungay with Tahong (Mussels)

Round Eggplants also known as aubergines.

You can also use the regular elongated eggplants.

For the Crust or breading mix...

Version 1:   Mixed Bread crumbs and Parmesan Cheese

Version 2:   Garlic Flavored Coating mix.

Dip sliced eggplants in 1 beaten egg.

Then cover with the breading mix, either version.

Then fry on hot oil, medium pan. When brown on both sides, remove from pan and serve.

For the vegetable,  saute garlic to brown, put in shelled tahong, then put in the vegetable, add a few water and flavor with half a  teaspoon of soy sauce.   Season with salt and pepper, then put in the sliced chilly pepper.  Count  10 seconds remove from fire.   Serve.

Orange Pasta Salad

I love preparing easy yet yummy dishes, here is one inspired from the famous Waldorf salad, however instead of apples  I used orange slices.
Prepare slices of oranges, bacon strips and/or ham, cheddar cheese, carrots, celery, and boiled potatoes.   Put them on a bed of cooked pasta.  Top with mayonnaise or prepared thousand island dressing.   Just toss them together and season with salt and pepper.

EASY Chicken Afritada

 The things you need for the dish:

Chicken, cut in serving portions
diced carrots,  potatoes and sliced green or red bell pepper
chopped garlic and onions
afritada sauce mix or tomato sauce
2 bay leaves or laurel leaves
dash of salt and pepper

The  steps:
1.   Boil chicken , garlic and onion with half pan of water.  
2.   Once chicken is cooked, put potatoes and carrots and the sauce mix.
3.   Stew for a few minutes and then put the bell peppers and laurel leaves.
4.   Season with salt and pepper.  you may opt to put a little soy sauce it would depend on your prefered taste.

Home-made SASHIMI

These are the things you would be needing to enjoy a simple Japanese dish.

 However, if you are not daring enough to try out a raw fish, don't try to buy them, else you will just waste valuable kitchen must-haves.

A slab of frozen pink salmon, this one I bought at SM Frozen goods section.

 For the sauce, you will need Kikkoman Sushi sashimi Soy sauce, Wasabi paste, and calamansi juice

All you need to do is thinly slice the fish, and mix all the ingredients for the sauce.   Easy.

Enjoy it with steamy jasmine rice. or just plain local white rice...

Banoffee Pie

The Original Hungry Monk Banoffi Pie Recipe

Invented at the Hungry Monk in 1972, Banoffi Pie (originally known as Banoffee Pie), is still as popular today as it was the first time it appeared on the menu. There have been many imitations as far and wide as Russia and the United States; it is even rumored to be Mrs Thatcher's favourite pudding! Below is the original Banoffi Pie recipe as it first appeared in 'The Deeper Secrets of the Hungry Monk' in 1974.

Banoffi Pie Recipe (to serve 8-10 people) 12 ounces uncooked shortcrust pastry 1.5 tins condensed milk (13.5 ounces each) 1.5 pounds firm bananas 375ml of double cream Half a teaspoon powdered instant coffee 1 dessertspoon caster sugar A little freshly ground coffee PreparationPreheat the oven to gas mark 5 (400F, ). Lightly grease a 10in x 1.5in flan tin. Line this with the pastry thinly rolled out. Prick the base all over with a fork and bake blind until crisp. Allow to cool. The secret of this delicious pudding lies in the condensed milk. Immerse the cans unopened in a deep pan of boiling water. Cover and boil for 3 hours making sure that the pan does not boil dry *(see CAUTION). Remove the tin from the water and allow to cool completely before opening. Inside you will find the soft toffee filling. MethodWhip the cream with the instant coffee and sugar until thick and smooth. Now spread the toffee over the base of the flan. Peel and halve the bananas lenghtways and lay them on the toffee. Finally spoon or pipe on the cream and lightly sprinkle over the freshly ground coffee. *CAUTION It is absolutely vital to top up the pan of boiling water frequently during the cooking of the cans. 3 hours is a long time and if they are allowed to boil dry the cans will explode causing a grave risk to life, limb and kitchen ceilings. Hint - Banoffi is a marvellous "emergency" pudding once you have the toffee mixture in your store cupboard. We therefore suggest that you boil several cans at the same time as they keep unopened indefinitely.

Dinner for Six + Four, Chicken Feet Adobo and Sauteed Ampalaya

"Bitter Melon also known as ampalaya, the dreaded fruit or vegetable.   In my family I was the only one who eats this.   But I had to make them, 'coz it is best for health...hmm..."

One time I went to the market not knowing what to buy for our dinner, to make it crazier, I only brought with me a mere P 150 on my pocket.   Pondering what i can buy with this amount, I came to the end of the market, when I saw people crowding a spot.  The boy was ever so magnificently and really fast, cutting the nails out of the chicken feet scattered over the table.   To my amazement, a kilo of it was only P 30 so I bought 3 K.   Near it was a tindera with basket full of ampalaya, I got a big one at P15 and finally I bought P30 worth of ground pork with my suki, butcher.    That still leaves me P15, and I  bought bananas with it.

I have to feed  four kids who eats like someone will steal their food, and a husband who is a bit picky, and three men (big eaters as well) every meals of my everyday life.   The biggest challenge is how to stay sane while budgeting for food, the fun part is preparing it for all of us!

Aloha Tuna Sandwich

    What makes the tuna spread special? The usual dry tuna sandwich spread turned Hawaiian!
I bet you've guessed that it has pineapple bits.

To make:

Mix ingredients in a bowl:

1 can of tuna in vegetable oil, medium
1/4 cup of grated cheddar cheese
1/8 cup of diced celery, about 3  9- inch celery strips, the green part only
1/2 cup of crushed pineapple, here, since what I have in my cupboard is a can of pineapple tidbits, I diced it really small
1/2 to 3/4 cup of mayo (Miracle whip is the best to use)
pinches of salt, pepper and curry powder (optional)

Once everything is mixed up, you can use a portion to spread on your breads.
I make jars of this in advance so anytime we would have guests or just want to have a different snack, I just get some out the refrigerator.  I sometimes add with diced nuts, or raisins or parmesan cheese.  You can go wild and add chopped jalapeno or green pepper.

More Variations: You can replace tuna with chicken, ham or bacon.  or if you don't have these cheese will do...Yum Yum!

Aloha Tuna Sandwich

    What makes the tuna spread special? The usual dry tuna sandwich spread turned Hawaiian!
I bet you've guessed that it has pineapple bits.

To make:

Mix ingredients in a bowl:

1 can of tuna in vegetable oil, medium
1/4 cup of grated cheddar cheese
1/8 cup of diced celery, about 3  9- inch celery strips, the green part only
1/2 cup of crushed pineapple, here, since what I have in my cupboard is a can of pineapple tidbits, I diced it really small
1/2 to 3/4 cup of mayo (Miracle whip is the best to use)
pinches of salt, pepper and curry powder (optional)

Once everything is mixed up, you can use a portion to spread on your breads.
I make jars of this in advance so anytime we would have guests or just want to have a different snack, I just get some out the refrigerator.  I sometimes add with diced nuts, or raisins or parmesan cheese.  You can go wild and add chopped jalapeno or green pepper.

More Variations: You can replace tuna with chicken, ham or bacon.  or if you don't have these cheese will do...Yum Yum!